Netanyahu's Likud Gain But Article Hints At Intra-Party Discontent

Despite ongoing internal battles within the main opposition party, the latest opinion poll from Maagar Mohot shows Likud winning 32 seats in a hypothetical legislative election, the highest seat total for the party since May.

• Maagar Mohot seat projection: Likud (Conservative): 32 (+3), Yesh Atid (Liberal): 18 (-3), Blue & White (Centrist): 10 (+3), Shas (Haredi|Right): 8 (-1), Yamina (Right): 8 (-1), Religious Zionist (Right): 7, Yisrael Beiteinu (Centre-right): 7 (+1), Labor (Centre-left): 6 (-1), Joint List (Arab): 6, Meretz (Green): 6, Ra'am (Islamist): 5 (-1). +/- vs. 14-15 July. Fieldwork: 11-12 Aug 2021. Sample size: 504
• The good polling for Likud comes at a time when former PM Benjamin Netanyahu is facing criticism from ex-ministers within his own party. The Times of Israel reports comments from former finance minister Israel Katz criticising Netanyahu for allowing the collapse of the previous Likud-Blue & White gov't.
• The article also alleges that a number of MKs made disparaging comments about Netanyahu at the wedding of a party official, while also carrying comments from an unnamed former minister stating: ""Netanyahu was willing to give the job to Naftali Bennett, to Gideon Sa'ar, to anyone else, just not to any of us. He could not see any of us moving up through the Likud ranks alongside him to a more senior position. He was afraid he would be threatened. This is not a leader who cares about Likud; he is a leader who cares about himself".
• The Times article also stated that the Likud MKs unanimously expected the Bennett gov'ts budget to pass in November, ensuring the broad coalition gov'ts continuation (barring any deterioration in intra-coalition relations).